Five alums to be honored at SMU’s Homecoming June 24-26

Each year during summer Homecoming festivities, Saint Mary’s honors outstanding alumni.

This weekend, the Distinguished Alum Award recipient will be Dr. Don Truhlar of Stillwater, Minn.; Lasallian Service Awards will go to Mary Lou (Black) Scheid of Bloomington, Minn., and James and Molly (Crosby) Cave of St. Paul. Additionally, Rob Figliulo of Burr Ridge, Ill., will receive the Alumni Appreciation Award. All five will be honored during a reception Saturday, June 25.

Approximately 350 alumni, family and friends will return to their alma mater for Saint Mary’s Homecoming festivities, which begin Friday, June 24, and run throughout the weekend. In addition to the alumni awards ceremony, highlights include a golf outing, the Gilmore Gallop 5K, a 50+ anniversary social, and the alumni picnic.

2011 Homecoming Honorees:

Dr. Don Truhlar ’65
Distinguished Alum Stillwater, Minn.
Don Truhlar ’65 switched his major at Saint Mary’s from physics to chemistry because, he said, “The most exciting science on campus” was in carbene research. His research took many turns, but 37 years later, he returned to his SMU roots and wrote two journal articles on carbene chemistry. All together, he has authored more than 900 journal articles, more than 80 book chapters and has edited or co-edited 13 books. Don received a Ph.D. from Caltech in 1970, and he has been on the faculty of the University of Minnesota since 1969 where he is currently Regents Professor of Chemistry, Chemical Physics Nanoparticle Science and Engineering and Scientific Computation. Don also serves as an associate editor for the Journal of the American Chemical Society and as editor of Computer Physics Communications. He is a member of the National Academy of Sciences of and the International Academy of Quantum Molecular Sciences and a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Physical Society, the American Chemical Society, the Royal Society of Chemistry, and the Minnesota Supercomputing Institute. He has received numerous national and international awards for his research.

Rob Figliulo ’76
Alumni Appreciation Burr Ridge, Ill.
Rob Figliulo ’76 is a lifelong supporter of Saint Mary’s University. He is a former member and chairman of the SMU Board of Trustees and is currently serving as chair of the Kabara Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies Advisory Board. He has also served as an active parent while several of his children attended Saint Mary’s. Rob has demonstrated his philanthropy and commitment to the university. He is a charismatic supporter of SMU who has been generous with his time, talent and financial contributions.


Mary Lou (Black ’76) Scheid
Lasallian Service Bloomington, Minn.
It has been the lifelong goal of Mary Lou (Black ’76) Scheid and her husband Stephen Scheid ’76 to volunteer in a Third World country after they retired. Sadly, because of Stephen’s sudden and untimely death, they were unable to carry out their dream together. Undaunted, Mary Lou and her 11-year-old son studied Spanish and moved to Antigua, Guatemala. For three years, Mary Lou served as a surgical nurse and Spanish interpreter. She worked with teams of doctors from the United States, Europe and Canada on a variety of surgeries including orthopedic, cleft lip and palate, hysterectomies and cataract. Mary Lou returned to the United States a few years ago but continues to make several trips each year back to Guatemala with medical teams from the Twin Cities.

James ’91 & Molly (Crosby ’91) Cave
Lasallian Service St. Paul, Minn.
Together, James ’91 and Molly (Crosby ’91) Cave are living examples of Lasallian service. Molly, a social worker, community volunteer and advocate for women, uses love and compassion to advocate and empower people in the Twin Cities. Molly was also instrumental in the St. Paul Paint the Pavement program, which promotes community building and “peacemaking” through creating neighborhood art. James is a Catholic schoolteacher and a coach who is a leader and national speaker on social justice, genocide, and the Rwandan genocide. James leads educational trips for high school students to Rwanda annually. Recently the Caves invited a young man from Rwanda into their home so he could attend junior and high school in the United States. The Caves practice what they preach, and live the lives that most others only talk about.

Faculty and staff are invited to — and encouraged to attend — weekend activities. To view a complete schedule of events, go to www.smumn.edu/homecoming.

Parade a huge success

As part of Saint Mary’s visibility initiative, the Marketing and Communication Office entered a float for this year’s Steamboat Days parade June 19. A huge thank you goes to this year’s volunteers: Gary Borash, Bob Fisher, Rhea Fosco, Amanda Gehrman, Terri Lieder, Janet Heukeshoven, Adrianne Olson (the spunky Cardinal mascot), Tom Mans, Amber Paulson and Lance Thompson. We successfully painted the parade route red with SMU bandannas.

Mark your calendars: SMU will also participate in the Goodview Days Parade Aug. 21.

Blackboard 9.1 is almost here

Take a minute to read the “Bb 9.1 Coming Soon” tab in Blackboard. It’s the best way to stay informed on the changes ahead.

IMPORTANT: If you wish to have a course from 2008M3 (Summer 2009) or earlier copied to the new Bb system, you must request it. To request a course that is from before 2008M3, please send an e-mail indicating the complete course ID(s) and your name to Edtech@smumn.edu.

The Blackboard system will not be available during the weekend of July 1-4.

Interested in attending an introduction to Bb 9.1 training session in July? Contact Jason Spartz, jspartz@smumn.edu, to learn about your options.

Lueck to competing in Dancing with Winona Stars

Forty local stars — including Terrie Lueck, SMU director of conferencing and camps — are getting ready to dance the night away for charity this summer during the 3rd Annual Dancing with Winona Stars.

The event will be held Saturday, Aug. 13, at SMU’s Gostomski Fieldhouse and will be sponsored by the Gotta Dance Competition Group. The pre-show begins at 7 p.m., and the competition begins at 7:30 p.m.

Last year over 1,000 people attended the show and more than $10,000 was raised for local charities. Lueck is raising money for SMU’s First-Generation Initiative.

This year will feature 11 individual stars dancing with Gotta Dance Instructors and five star groups that will be performing a variety of styles from rhumba to hip hop.

Tables are available for $250 and include hors d’oeuvres, a cash bar, reserved seating and early admission at 5 p.m.

Single tickets with hors d’oeuvres and early admission at 5 p.m. are $25 and show-only tickets with 7 p.m. admission are $10 or $20 at the door.

For more information, visit www.dancingwithwinonastars.com or call Gotta Dance at (507) 474-7077.

SMU student named Miss Winona

SMU junior Shelby Siemek was named Miss Winona 2011.

Siemek is majoring in marketing. Her platform was “Buckle Up: Arrive Alive” and she sang “Ave Maria” in the talent portion of the competition.

Siemek reigned over the Steamboat Days festival and will represent Winona over the next year. She also received a $1,000 scholarship.

The Spirit Award went to Stephanie Kostuck ,a recent graduate of Winona State University, who majored in elementary education. Kostuck and Nicole Young, a Winona State University senior majoring in Mass Communications, will serve as Miss Winona Attendants. Both Kostuck and Young received $300 scholarships.

Kuramota receives Study Abroad Italy scholarship

Saint Mary’s student Sloane Kuramoto is the Fall 2011 recipient of the John Cabot University Scholarship.

Study Abroad Italy (SAI) and John Cabot University offer these scholarships based on need and merit in both fall and spring semesters.

Kuramoto received the $4,475 fellowship — This fellowship requires five hours per week of internship in the SAI office on site. Duties include assisting SAI Program Coordinator and lasts the duration of the term, except for holiday or midterm breaks.

Learn more about the scholarships offered by SAI (Study Abroad Italy) at www.saiprograms.com/about/scholarships.

Quilters Guild show on display at SMU

The summer show, “Beneath the Covers: The Winona Area Quilters’ Guild” will be on display at Saint Mary’s Lillian Davis Hogan Galleries through Aug. 14.

A huge variety of full-size quilts, as well as other quilted pieces — ranging from traditional patterns to very graphic and experimental ones — will be on display.

The galleries — free and open to the public — are open 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily.

SMU hosts Concert on the Green June 25

The Great River Shakespeare Festival Concert on the Green Saturday, June 25, will feature French cafe music with Cafe Accordion Orchestra. The event will be sponsored by Saint Mary’s University and Paul Barnes and James Edmondson in honor of Sue and Jack Cornwell. The concert begins at 6:30 p.m. at Winona State University. Concerts on the Green are free and open to the public. For more information on the concert series or the festival, visit www.tdmwinona.org or www.grsf.org.

SMU community members perform in municipal band

Come and enjoy the sounds of band music at the Lake Park Bandshell each Wednesday evening from 8 to 9 p.m. (Concerts are canceled if it rains.)

Music faculty members Janet and Eric Heukeshoven (flute and euphonium); trumpet instructor John Mundy; IT staff Ryan Ballanger (clarinet); and students Hans Heukeshoven (percussion) and Katie Lieder (trumpet) are all members of this historic community ensemble.

The band is directed by Richard Lindner, and features a wide variety of music including show tunes, marches, overtures and concert pieces. Bring a chair or blanket or sit on the benches provided by the city and enjoy the free concerts every Wednesday evening through mid-August.

Jazz notes

Swing Inc. will perform from 7 to 10 p.m. every Friday at Signatures Restaurant, 22852 County Rd. 17.

GoogleApps user’s group collaboration session

Are you an SMU GoogleApps Email or Calendar user? Would you like to meet with other SMU GoogleApps users? Are you curious about GoogleApps and wonder if you’d like to join the piloting group?

Join Information Technology for a GoogleApps user’s group collaboration session, where GoogleApps users are encouraged to share their experiences. Share a short success story or ask a question. (ie: favorite feature, how has it allowed you to do some task better, urgent flags, etc)

Bring your lunch and collaborate with other SMU GoogleApps users on Wednesday, June 29, from noon to 1 p.m.

Winona campus users meet in Hendrickson Center 23, and Twin Cities campus users meet in LaSalle Hall 210.

There will be no formal presentation. There are a limited number of computers in Hendrickson Center 23 available if participants would like to follow along on your account. Additionally, Wifi access is available in both Hendrickson Center 23 or LaSalle Hall 210 if you’d like to bring your own browser enabled mobile device (laptop, iOS device, tablet, etc). This is your opportunity to share with others your experience with GoogleApps, and possibly pick up some tips, and tricks.

MCA announces summer programming

The Minnesota Conservatory for the Arts offers summer programming runs through July 22. Community classes, lessons, workshops and camps are offered for children age 3 through adults.

Music division offerings include:

Music Explorers I
June 27-July 1; 4:15 to 5 p.m.; for students entering grades 1 through 3; tuition: $30.
Learn concepts related to steady beat, duration, pitch, volume, articulation, solfege, and rhythmic and melodic improvisation.

Music Explorers II
June 27-July 1; 3 to 4 p.m.; for students entering grades 4 through 6; tuition: $30.
Students will learn to write their own melodies that include elements of rhythm and meter, pitch and key, expression and form.

Chamber Music Camp
July 18-22; 2 to 4:30 p.m.; for students entering grades 7 through 12; tuition: $100.
Students will play in small ensemble settings with like instruments and will attend music classes in sight singing, theory, composition, improvisation, and the Alexander technique.

Private Music Lessons: Flute, Clarinet, Saxophone, Violin, Mandolin, Piano, Voice
Arranged, for students ages 5 to adults; tuition: $75 for 5 lessons, $140 for 10 lessons.

Dance division offerings include:

Creative Movement
July 11, 13, 18, 20, 25, 27; 5:15 to 5:45 p.m.; for children ages 3 to 4; tuition: $30.
Introduction to the dance class setting using creative movement techniques.

Musical Theatre Dance
July 11, 13, 18, 20, 25, 27; 6 to 7 p.m.; for ages 13 to adult, tuition: $40.
Students will learn basic dance technique for musical theatre performance and explore choreography from Broadway musicals.

All MCA classes, workshops, lessons, and camps are held at the Valéncia Arts Center, 1164 West 10th St.

Registration for summer programming is currently being accepted. For more information and registration materials, visit www.mnconservatoryforthearts.org, e-mail mca@smumn.edu or call Ext. 5500.

Behling attends HelpDesk symposium

Brian Behling, HelpDesk manager, attended the MinnHEHD (Minnesota Higher Education Help Desks) Symposium, held at Macalester College June 22. During the symposium he was a panel member for a session on HelpDesk Student employee training and HelpDesk staffing. His participation in this symposium contributes to Information Technology's commitment of continuous HelpDesk improvement for the University.

‘Campus Notes’ will continue every other Friday

“Campus Notes” will continue every other Friday during the summer including July 8, July 22, Aug. 5, and Aug. 19. The deadline for each issue is noon the previous Wednesday.